This invention relates to golf putters and, in particular, to a belly putter with an adjustable length shaft.
One of the most difficult problems with putting is to attain a pendulum swinging motion with the putter club through the ball striking area. It is difficult to stabilize and hold steady the top of the putter club. Movement of the club along the putter club shaft longitudinal axis is one of the most frequent causes of putter miss hits. However, it has been observed that when a golfer is holding a regular putter in position to strike a golf ball, a hypothetically extended longitudinal axis of the putter club shaft will meet the golfer near to the golfer's belly button. Experiments with putter club shafts have led to the mid-length putter or belly putter. The belly putter shaft is longitudinally extended so that it terminates at the golfer's stomach. This stabilizes the top of the putter club shaft eliminating movement along the putter club shaft longitudinal axis, thereby eliminating the cause of a high proportion of putting miss hits. The golfer's arms and hands, as well as the angle of the putter shaft to the ball, are exactly the same as with a regular putter. The belly putter enables the golfer to attain a substantially improved pendulum swinging action when striking the golf ball. Although there are substantial advantages to a belly putter, there are draw backs.
Golf clubs generally allow a golfer to adjust his or her stance by approximately five inches, i.e., the club grip is approximately five inches longer than a golfer's grip. Therefore, a golfer can change his or her stance from fairly upright to fairly bent over merely by moving his or her hands up or down the club grip. Putter club grips are generally approximately twelve inches long and a normal golfer grip could be six to seven inches long. Club grips for woods and irons are slightly longer, and the golfer grips slightly less. All putter clubs, except one, provide a golfer with the ability to adjust to changes in stance and putting style. The exception is the belly putter, also known as the mid-length putter.
A belly putter shaft length is critical. Regardless of where the club shaft is gripped by the golfer, the pendulum fixed point is the golfer's stomach and this cannot be changed by the golfer's grip position. Currently, belly putters are offered for sale only at certain finite standard shaft lengths, i.e., forty-one inches, forty-three inches and forty-five inches. Unfortunately, these lengths will only accommodate a small percentage of golfers. Factors such as girth, height, arm length, frame, etc. all contribute to an ideal shaft length. Even a difference of an eighth of an inch is important to fitting a belly putter to a golfer. A golfer five feet tall would most likely require a shaft length in the range of thirty-six inches. A golfer six feet four inches tall would require a shaft in the range of forty-seven inches. In many cases, the same golfer may require a varying shaft length over the course of a season. If a manufacturer made a full range of belly putter lengths, at one-quarter inch increments, it would require forty-six belly putter models for each different putter style to be kept in stock at each retail store. This is simply not practical for the manufacturer or the many retail outlets.
Even if the manufacturer made a wide range of belly putter shaft lengths, the problem would not be solved. The fixed length of a belly putter does not allow changes in the golfer's stance. Golfers continuously experiment with their putting styles, usually involving a change in stance. Feet may be moved closer or farther apart from each other. The golfer may move closer or farther from the ball. The golfer may stand more upright or crouch further down. The golfer may lose or gain five or ten pounds. All of these factors significantly change the “ideal” shaft length of the belly putter.
Another problem with belly putters is the putter top which forms the pendulum fixed point with the golfer's stomach. All conventional putters today have a normal putter grip top. The normal putter grip top is round or oblong with a slightly crowned top. The top is almost flat and has a relatively hard perimeter edge. Conventional belly putter tops have the same or similar tops. This is a drawback because the conventional top does not provide a smooth, continuous rolling effect against the golfer's stomach as the putter is swung in a pendulum motion from the back stroke through the ball. When the golfer attempts to move the putter through a pendulum stroke, one edge of the putter top digs into the golfer's stomach and then suddenly releases. The top of the putter shaft must then be rolled firmly to overcome the resistance of the top opposite edge. The conventional putter top essentially snags the golfer's stomach.